"Chavismo, the force of the nation, won a crushing majority. This is a victory for all of Venezuela but particularly a victory for Chavez."

Voters overwhelmingly showed support for Chavez, his allies, and Bolivarian social justice. They won't tolerate going back to Venezuela's dark past.

Ahead of the vote, banners on lampposts read "Now more than ever with Chavez." Vice President Nicolas Maduro addressed Venezuelans, saying "Let's not fail Chavez."

"Today is a day where the entire nation will ratify its love for the country."

He explained that Chavez is communicating with his cabinet daily. He's kept informed "step by step of everything that is going on economically and politically."

Ahead of the vote, Venezuelan officials expressed outrage about Obama's Friday comments. As Chavez struggles to recover from complex surgery, he called his policies "authoritarian."

A Venezuelan Foreign Ministry statement said he further damaged relations between the countries. He showed "aggression and disrespect" at a very "delicate moment."

Venezuela "demands respect from (Obama) and officials from his government for the dignity of the Venezuelan people, its institutions and especially for" Chavez.

Obama outrageously said:

"The most important thing is to remember that the future of Venezuela should be in the hands of the Venezuelan people. We've seen from Chavez in the past authoritarian policies, suppression of dissent."

His comments reflect America's imperial arrogance. Venezuelan governance shames its northern neighbor. It champions democratic freedoms. Washington spurns them at home and abroad. It wages war on humanity.

Information Minister Ernesto Villegas responded to Obama, saying:

Venezuelans "openly exercise freedoms and rights that US. society is far from reaching."

"With his despicable statements in this very delicate moment for Venezuela, the president of the United States takes the responsibility of pushing bilateral relations toward increased deterioration, showing evidence of the continuity of its policy of aggression and disrespect toward our country."

Media scoundrels unjustifiably attack Chavez. They do it viciously. They've done it throughout his tenure. Facts don't interfere with their misreporting.

It's standard practice to vilify independent leaders. Democrats are called tyrants or close to it.

America suppresses democratic values. In Venezuela they thrive. Venezuelans pray for Chavez to regain full health. He's too important to lose.

A Final Comment on His Heath

On December 14, the Havana Times published a Venezuelan government press release, saying:

"Consistent with the duty to inform the Venezuelan people and the peoples of the world about the evolution of the state of health of the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, additional medical information from Havana is being presented in relation to the results of the surgery and the current condition of Commander Hugo Chavez."

"Currently the patient is progressively and favorably recovering his normal vital signs."

"This recovery process, however, requires a reasonable amount of time due both to the complexity of the procedure performed and complications that arose during surgery (these consisted of bleeding that required corrective action to allow its proper control)."

"In so far as the positive developments continue - which are beginning to become evident - the application of additional specific treatment is foreseen to assist in the full recuperation of the patient’s health."

"With this information, the Bolivarian government hopes to convey the message of calm and hope to all people of good will, in different corners of the nation and around the world, who are directing their prayers and good wishes for the speedy and satisfactory improvement Commander Chavez."

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.